In an effort to put the brakes on the number of oversized vehicles crossing the aging 9th Avenue S.E. Bridge, police will be doing enforcement and issuing fines over the next few months.
There is a five-tonne (11,000 lb.) limit on the bridge accessing Inglewood.
“We encourage all drivers to be knowledgeable of their vehicle weights as exceeding the five-tonne weight restriction can result in substantial fines,” said Const. Chris Moriarity.
Anyone with a Class 5 licence can get behind the wheel of several vehicles that can exceed the weight restriction, including motorhomes and RVs, moving vans, cube vans and vehicles pulling large trailers.
“The 9th Avenue S.E. Bridge was built 110 years ago to serve turn of the century cars crossing the river, but today it handles high volumes of traffic, including commercial vehicles headed into the downtown core. We are now seeing the impact of those years of heavy traffic,” said Charmaine Buhler, manager of bridge maintenance for the city.
“The city is calling on Calgarians to help us preserve the longevity and safety of this bridge until a temporary solution is put in place this summer.”
The restriction was lowered in January from 8.5 tonnes to five tonnes and one lane of traffic was closed to reduce the amount of weight on the bridge.
Source: CTV News Calgary
Health Calgary North West 